Offshore SACs

JNCC is responsible for identifying SACs in the UK
offshore marine area. This includes waters
beyond 12 nautical miles, within the Exclusive Economic
Zone and the seabed within the UK Continental Shelf Designated
Area. For areas within the UK Continental Shelf Designated Area but
beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone, JNCC can recommend SACs for
habitat features associated with the seabed only.

Sites crossing the 12 nautical mile boundary
and lying more than 90% in offshore waters have been progressed by
JNCC. Sites between 10 and 90% in offshore waters have been
progressed jointly by JNCC and the relevant country conservation agency.

Protected Features

Areas of Search

Areas of Search for future offshore SACs are based upon the best
available evidence of the location of Annex I protected features.
For the majority of UK offshore waters the data available on the
habitats present is sparse. JNCC has a programme to survey offshore
areas that are deemed as a high priority for inclusion in the
SAC network.

There is currently one Area of Search (AoS) for SACs in offshore
waters: the North-west Anglesey Reef AoS, located
in the Irish Sea. This can be viewed on the UK MPA
Interactive map and a shapefile of the point locations of the
AoS is available to
download.